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If there's one part of a newborn baby's body that makes first-time parents nervous, it's probably that soft spot on his head. How can those maternity-ward nurses handle him with such nonchalance, when you feel as though your baby's soft spot makes him all the more vulnerable to injury? Relax: A baby's soft spot, or fontanel, is actually an ingenious means for him to survive the trauma of birth.

This might surprise you, but the skull is not one single piece of bone; rather, it is composed of seven bones that eventually fuse together in a process called ossification. Fontanels are spots where your baby's skull bones have not yet fused together, which helps the head manage the trip down the birth canal....

If there's one part of a newborn baby's body that makes first-time parents nervous, it's probably that soft spot on his head. How can those maternity-ward nurses handle him with such nonchalance, when you feel as though your baby's soft spot makes him all the more vulnerable to injury? Relax: A baby's soft spot, or fontanel, is actually an ingenious means for him to survive the trauma of birth.

This might surprise you, but the skull is not one single piece of bone; rather, it is composed of seven bones that eventually fuse together in a process called ossification. Fontanels are spots where your baby's skull bones have not yet fused together, which helps the head manage the trip down the birth canal.

According to pediatrician Dr. Allan Greene, babies are born with six fontanels, though only two are usually noticeable. The one at the top of the head is called the anterior fontanel; the one at the back is the posterior. Fontanels also ensure that there's room for your baby's brain to grow in her first year or two.

Your baby's fontanels are not simply covered with thin skin, but with a tough, protective, fibrous membrane. In fact, notes Dr. Greene, fontanels actually cushion the baby's head in the event of a fall (which can happen to even the most careful parents). Says pediatrician and author Dr. William Sears, the posterior fontanel usually closes by about 3 months of age, while the anterior fontanel takes its time, closing in most babies by 12-18 months.

You'll probably notice your pediatrician checking the soft spots at each office visit. He wants to see that the fontanels are not closing too early -- a rare condition called craniosynostosis. In some cases, this early fusing merely leads to a funny-shaped head. But in severe cases, craniosynostosis can literally squelch brain growth, causing mental retardation, seizures, or blindness. This is, again, very rare -- and can be treated when caught early. Your pediatrician will also check that the soft spot is firm and flat, not sunken, as a sunken fontanel is a sign of dehydration.

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